By Ally Kadlubar, WRAL reporter

First responders rescued dozens of residents from homes and apartments near the Eno River in Durham County Monday morning after relentless rain caused the river to overflow. 

“I saw water running from the floors in our house,” Regina Mitchell, a resident who escaped the rising water in a rescue boat, said. “We thought it was something in the house that had broken, but then when we opened the door, we realized it was coming in from every door.” 

People’s homes flooded to chest level and cars floated along Rippling Stream Road. Many told WRAL News they were sleeping and had no idea the water was rising until the fire department beat down their door. 

The WRAL Breaking News Tracker was there as the fire department worked to rescue dozens. 

Some were able to evacuate before the water rose too high, including Ahmad Hefez, his wife and four kids. 

“We woke up. We heard the sound of water all around us,” Hefez said. “We suddenly opened the window, and we saw all the driveways flooded with water.” 

He and his family were able to evacuate and meet the rescue team at higher grounds around 1:30 a.m. They were able to find shelter with a neighbor, but Hefez was concerned about not getting a warning. 

“The bad thing, nobody warned us about this,” he said. “We don’t know about it. We just woke up, and thank God we had some time to just get out.” 

First responders will continue rescue efforts throughout the morning.